JANUARY 2022 NEWSLETTER

CAMPUS CLOSED FOR NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Georgia State University will be closed: Monday, January 17th in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. There will be no access to campus facilities, offices, or services. Click HERE for more information on the legacy of MLK Jr.

MLK Commemorative Events

Each year Georgia State University honors Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and work with numerous activities in January. Campus events feature lectures, discussions, celebration, and community service opportunities that reflect his dream and vision for civil rights and social justice.

January 17, 2022, marks the 39th anniversary of the first observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a U.S. federal holiday. Please review GSU’s schedule of events HERE to see how you can get participate as well as be part of the many volunteer service projects being offered.

FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT REQUIRED: Undergraduate - 12 credit hours minimum. See above for spring 2022 enrollment guidelines.

REDUCED COURSE LOAD (RCL): If this is your final semester, or you have a valid medical reason to be under-enrolled, the deadline to request an RCL via iStart is: January 14^th at 5PM.

FEE PAYMENT DEADLINE: The payment deadline for tuition and fees is January 19th at 5pm for registration completed by Jan 10th. After this date, your enrollment will be automatically dropped if not paid in full.

Students who register during Late Registration, Jan. 11-14, will incur a $50 late registration fee.

IN CASE OF LATE PAYMENT OR COURSE DROP: You can go through the “Registration Adjustment” process to attempt to get back into classes once all tuition and fees are paid. Visit the Enrollment Services website HERE or contact each faculty member individually and request this process. The process takes 3-4 days but does not stop the SEVIS reporting deadline. Failure to complete registration adjustment by the SEVIS deadline of February 4, 2021 will result in termination of status. (SEVIS reporting is done by ISSS.)

SPRING REGISTRATION 2022

For spring, the learning models are still Face to Face, Blended and Online. However, there will be more structured requirements with respect to the in-person, on-campus requirements in the blended courses. Faculty teaching blended courses will have regular in-person, on-campus meetings and will expect attendance in those sessions unless you are sick or have another legitimate excuse. Faculty will not permanently excuse a student from the in-person attendance requirement of a blended course unless the student has secured this accommodation formally through Georgia State’s Office of Access and Accommodation. Social distancing and safety measures will be preserved.

Be sure to check GoSolar for your registration day and time. For more information click HERE.

Spring 2022 Student Health Insurance

Enrollment & Waiver

Student Health Insurance is mandatory for F-1 and J-1 students attending Georgia State University. Students who have adequate alternate ACA compliant health and accident insurance may waive the GSU insurance for Spring & Summer semester 2022 by completing the insurance waiver process. The waiver request period is open December 4, 2021 ‐ January 21, 2022. Spring/Summer coverage begins January 1, 2022 and ends July 31, 2022.

• Note: Insurance Waivers are not granted automatically, and you must renew your waiver each semester.

• For more information about waiving SHIP, please click HERE.

• If you will keep your GSU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), you must create and account and activate your SHIP coverage by the January 21, 2022 deadline. For enrollment instructions, click HERE.

• Waiver denial appeals must be sent to United Healthcare Student Resources at Waiververification@UHCSR.com. All correspondence must include the University/School Name, Student’s Name, and Student’s Panther ID. Please provide your confirmation of coverage (COC) from your insurance provider that confirms your dates of coverage and specifies the benefits that meets the school’s requirements

• For more info click HERE.

Post Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a benefit that allows temporary employment directly related to an F-1 student's major area of study upon program completion. OPT at the Associate degree level is for a period of 12 months maximum. For more information about OPT and to access the on-line OPT Workshop, go to HERE.

Students graduating at the end of spring 2021 who are interested in applying for OPT should first complete the on-line OPT workshop. The next step is to attend a Virtual OPT Workshop (see dates below) to review the application process.

The earliest date that spring 2022 graduates can apply for OPT is February 3, 2022.

Virtual OPT Workshop Dates for Spring 2021:

• 2/2/2022 3:00 - 4:00 PM

• 2/23/2022 3:00 - 4:00 PM

• 3/23/2022 1:00 - 2:00 PM

• 4/19/2022 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Registration is required through iStart. Five (5) students must be signed up for a session to start. Make sure you are signing up for Perimeter College sessions.

Call 770-274-5570 or 678-891-3235 or email issspc@gsu.edu if you have questions.

Valentine's Day around the World

REMEMBER TO APPLY FOR GRADUATION

The Office of the Registrar encourages Associate’s Degree Candidates to apply for graduation in the semester in which they earn their 30th semester hour, approximately two semesters preceding the expected graduation date. For more information, click HERE.

TRAVEL REMINDER

Remember to have your form I-20 or DS-2019 signed before you depart the U.S over any break if your current travel endorsement is more than 6 months old. Your I-20 will be digitally endorsed and emailed to your GSU student email. Note also that there are still international travel restrictions in place.

For details on this requirement and request process for F-1 students, please click >> here.

Tip: Don’t wait until the last minute!
All requests in iStart take 3-5 days to process.

Note: Effective November 8, 2021, all non-immigrant, non-citizen air travelers to the United States are required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States. Please read the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) new Order for all air passengers traveling to the United States. Stay tuned for more information from ISSS.

Student Government Association (SGA) has several vacancies on Perimeter Campus. They are amazing involvement opportunities that allow for networking, most are paid positions, and they are a great way to gain valuable experience applicable to their future careers. ​

Some of the vacant positions include:

• Finance Director (Perimeter Campuses)

• Communications Director (Perimeter Campuses)

• Speaker of the Senate (Perimeter Campuses)

If interested, please join their Involvement Fair February 1st at 11 AM to receive more information before applying. To sign up, CLICK HERE. To apply for a position now CLICK HERE.

Adopting positive behaviors to support your learning can help make a semester involving online learning successful. Please click HERE for helpful information about time management, academic honesty, connecting with your professors, using iCollege, academic support, and more to enhance your on-line learning experience.

HEALTH GUIDELINES TO REMEMBER

FREE COVID-19 Testing is available on-campus!

Georgia State is offering free saliva-based PCR testing to all students, faculty and staff at the Downtown Atlanta Campus and each of our five Perimeter campuses. This FDA-approved test is expected to return results within 72 hours. No appointment or medical referral is required. For more information: https://covidinfo.gsu.edu/covid-19-resources/covid-19-testing/

Free COVID-19 vaccines available. For more information, go to https://covidinfo.gsu.edu/covid-19-resources/covid-19-vaccine/

For questions about any of the information mentioned above, contact:

International Student & Scholar Services

Georgia State University Perimeter College

Clarkston Campus: 678-891-3235 Dunwoody Campus: 770-274-5570

issspc@gsu.edu (email)

isss.gsu.edu (website)